Nothing beats frosting. It’s the perfect way to make any cake look like a million bucks and elevate your dish from good to great. But not all frosting is created equal, and finding one that works perfectly can be tricky. In this episode of How to Bake a Cake, we’ll share our best recipe for frosting and show you how easy it is to make!
Ingredients
1 cup butter
2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-4 tablespoons milk (optional)
1 cup butter, softened
- Soften the butter. You want to soften it, but not melt it. If you’ve ever tried to frost a cake with melted butter, then you know how difficult this step can be–and why we recommend using room temperature butter instead!
- Beat in 3 cups of sifted powdered sugar until smooth and creamy (or use a hand mixer). The key here is to beat until there are no lumps left in your frosting–it should be thick enough so that when you pull out the beaters or stop mixing them altogether, they leave behind a trail of frosting on the surface of your bowl when they’re removed from contact with it; if there are still clumps on top of those trails when this happens then go back over them again until all traces are gone!
2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- Sift the confectioners’ sugar. You can do this by hand or with a food processor, but either way you’ll want to use a sieve to do it. Place the sieve over a large bowl and then dump in all of your powdered sugar; give it a good shake so that all of the excess air gets out (you can even use an electric mixer). Once you’ve done that, transfer everything into another container (like another bowl) and set aside until ready to use.*
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla extract is a key ingredient in this frosting. If you’re using a store-bought vanilla, make sure it’s pure and not imitation (which is made with artificial flavoring). One teaspoon should be enough to give your cake that sweet, creamy taste without being overpowering. If you want to kick up the flavor even more, try two teaspoons!
You can measure vanilla with the same method as other liquids: fill your measuring spoon halfway up with water and then add drops until it reaches 1/2 cup (or whatever measurement works best for your recipe). You’ll need an exact amount of liquid–so don’t worry if there isn’t exactly 1/2 cup left over after measuring everything else out! It should look like this:
3-4 tablespoons milk, as needed
If you need to add more milk, do so in a 1/2 tablespoon increments. The consistency should be thick enough to hold its shape on the top of your cake but loose enough to spread easily. If you find that your frosting is too thick, add more confectioners’ sugar (1 teaspoon at a time) until you reach the desired consistency. If it’s too thin and watery, add more butter (1 tablespoon at a time).
delicious frosting recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Directions: Beat butter until light and fluffy. Add confectioners’ sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition until smooth.
Conclusion
This frosting is so delicious! It’s creamy and sweet, with just a hint of vanilla flavor. It also works great on cupcakes and other types of cakes. We hope you enjoy making this recipe at home!
